Good day, Subhanki Padhi. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

This is the Shibanki party. I have done my B.Tech in Agricultural engineering from OUT Bhubaneswar. Then I qualified GATE and I joined M Tech and Food Process Engineering from NIT Rourkela and then I pursued my PhD in Food Process Engineering at NIT Rourkela where my PhD was focused on the topic of food valorization where I specifically worked on the extraction of nanocellulose from food waste and then further categorized it according to the.

Uh, different extraction methods that are used for extracting nanocellulose. And then I, uh, did an application based on uh, food delivery system of Pickering emulsions. And I'm currently working as an assistant professor at SRM University Delhi NCR Sonipat, where I'm involved in teaching and then also in student mentoring and research driven projects.

And I am currently very, uh, keen in working with.

The VIP, if I'm getting selected, that's all about my background.

Thank you, Professor Padhi, for sharing your background. Let me start by verifying some of your expertise and teaching capabilities. Can you elaborate on your approach to teaching laboratory courses? Specifically, how do you bridge theoretical concepts with practical applications for students?

Yeah. So in today's teaching experience, I can say that students mostly relate to practical experience only. And So what I my approach towards teaching in the last six months of teaching is that I mostly go through recent papers.

Which are being published in high impacted journals. And then I tried to deliver them through a class notes and also through laboratory practicals. Whatever I teach in the supposed let me take food chemistry since I'm currently teaching food chemistry. So when I'm teaching food chemistry, the sub, the theory portion which I'm teaching in the class, I made sure that I conduct those laboratory experiments in the laboratory class so that they have a better understanding of the concept behind the.

Application and the food principle also.

It sounds like you integrate current research and ensure alignment between theoretical lessons and lab work, which is commendable. Can you provide a specific example of a topic in food chemistry where you successfully implemented this approach to enhance student understanding?

So specifically if I go to explain, then recently I was teaching them the enzymes on enzymes, a topic on enzymes. Then there I taught how we can use enzymes to extract fruit juice. So which in the laboratory I demonstrated by showing them that we took fruit sample and then we used Pectines enzyme to extract the fruit juice from it that enhanced its extraction yield means the yield of the fruit juice was enhanced. So that's what I was teaching them.

The class by the that by the use of enzymes we can extract more the extractability increases, which I showed them through the laboratory class.

That's an excellent example of connecting theory to practice—illustrating enzymatic functionality through fruit juice extraction. How did the students engage with this experiment? Did you face any challenges ensuring that all participants grasped the concept thoroughly?

So in this I can say that when I was teaching in class, I thought that only 5260% students were understanding, whereas when I taught them the theory, I think 19 to 95% of students got the theory behind it.

What I was trying to explain them in the class, they got it through the laboratory experiment more.

It's great to hear that the laboratory experiment significantly boosted student comprehension. This reflects the effectiveness of your hands-on teaching approach. Let's transition to evaluating your research expertise now. Could you explain how your PhD research on extracting nanocellulose from food waste contributes to sustainability in food systems?

So basically the main motto behind my PhD research was that I wanted to.

I wanted to have a more thing on food sustainability. I wanted to go on the topic of food sustainability. So I chose this topic of extracting nanocellulose from food bio waste. So in this what I did was I extracted nanocellulose from a lignocellulosic biomass through various extraction techniques. That is first I extracted cellulose and then I converted it to nanocellulose. So through this we are not only utilizing the waste food waste which is abundantly.

Be, uh, dumped outside. But also we are uh.

Means we are, uh, getting some value added products from that. So I used that Nana cellos as a stabilizer in, uh, developed, uh, Pickering emulsion, which can be used in various food systems as a stabilizer to increase the shelf life of the products. So in this, not only I helped introducing the food waste, but I also helped in developing A value-added product, which can be useful. So it is, uh, it contributed to a circular economy.

Your research demonstrates a strong alignment with sustainability goals, transforming food waste into value-added nanocellulose products that support a circular economy. How do you envision translating this research into classroom teaching or guiding future student projects?

So I can I have also worked on various minor projects during my PhD time where I have guided various undergraduate and postgraduates in their projects. So I can say that I can have various research expertise to them like in not only in food waste parallelization but sustainability also in other terms like I can help in. The students and research in functional food based products in.

Developing functional food based product, then also extracting protein from under utilized crops and also adding phytochemical or bioactive rich compounds, extracting them and then adding it to make a functional food which can be utilized later. And so also I can work on work with the students on.

Modern technologies such as your microwave ultrasonication, pulse light and then a cold plasma technology which I have already worked with during my PhD for many minor projects. So all these I can do for the research of the students.

Use of various.

It appears you have significant experience not only in research but also in mentoring students across diverse and advanced topics. Let me now verify your experience with student evaluations. What approach do you follow to ensure fair and effective evaluation of students’ performance in both theoretical and practical food science courses?

Since I am working for the last six months so in this course of time I have evaluated many exams such as 2 mid semester exams and also one end semester exam where I have given the questions based on practical and theory to the students and I have specifically given allotted marks like if they have written specifically about the concept and then how they are explaining it through practical.

Example and then how they have better understood the concept. So basically I have divided the marks accordingly and evaluated the project both conceptually as well as their practical knowledge. So the suppose I can give you an example that I was teaching food principles. So in that I have taught them starch gelatinization. So in in that case, what question I have put us, I just modified the question that if I'm cooking rice, then it gelatinizes.

So can you tell me the concept behind that? So in that I can also understand that how much the student has understood the concept whether they are able to apply practically or not. So that was how I evaluated.

Your method of integrating conceptual and practical evaluation ensures a holistic understanding of student knowledge. Introducing real-world examples, like starch gelatinization in rice, is an excellent way to test both their theoretical grasp and practical application. Let’s move to your ability to guide student projects and research. Could you share a specific example where you successfully guided a student’s research project? How did you ensure they adhered to rigorous scientific methodologies?

Yeah. So here since I have only joined six months back, so a bit of projects I'm doing, but during my PhD, PhD period, I have an experience in guiding 4B tech projects and also 4M tech projects. So in that case for I helped my supervisor in designing the methodology that what methodology we can follow to complete their project and also I made sure that.

I have healthy students in achieving those methodology and also evaluated how they were doing and also help them in.

Uh, statistically analyzing it and then, uh, writing it through the papers. And I have effective communications out of that also those research projects. So, and currently, since I'm working here for the last six months only I have, I'm guiding students on development of functional food and yet to publish papers, but before I have already published papers from for whom I have guided undergraduates and postgraduates during my PhD.

Yeah, so it's very easy. See Pickering emulsion is nothing. But I can relate with them with the daily life example like they are eating mayonnaise. So what is it? How is it formed? So mayonnaise is nothing but your water and oil, the mixture of water and oil. So normally if you make just pour water and oil in the same container, then you will see that they won't mix. Normally if you just mix it, they won't mix it. They they. Remain as separate layers only. So how I can tell them that?

It's evident you have substantial experience guiding student research, emphasizing rigorous methodology, statistical analysis, and academic publishing. Given that, let's analyze how you communicate complex topics to students. How would you explain the concept of Pickering emulsions and their significance in food systems to a group of undergraduate students with no prior knowledge of emulsions?

Pickering emulsion is the one that I have to give some additional external force to make it into one phase. Normally they will have two phases only, water and oil, but I need to mix it properly to have a one phase emulsion. Emulsion is nothing but the combination of two phases to make it 1. So oil and water I need to combine to make it 1. And what is Pickering emulsion that I'm making using any solid substance to make it stability. So normally generally if I keep.

Oil and water together, just I'll homogenize it and keep it. But after some days I can see that there is a phase separation. So but the munis which you are eating in everyday life, you don't see a phase separation easily. You have that you can use it till six months or one year depending upon the brand you're buying. So they have certain stabilizers. So what is a Pickering emulsion that I'm adding a solid like substance such as in my case since I have used nanocellulose as that. Stabilizer which helped in.

Increasing the shelf life, that is, it prevented the separation of both the layers that water and oil. So in this way I can explain them what a Pickering emulsion is.

I hope that I gave a answer to your question.

OK, so during my PhD, I have published several research papers out of which one was the one which I published in Biomass and Bioenergy where it is about the extraction of nanocellulose using various organic and inorganic acids. So in that the main focus was to show the food sustainability and the circular economy. So in that we have extracted. Me means me and my supervisor planned it so I'm mentioning it here. We so we have.

Yes, thank you, Professor Padhi. You explained it effectively using relatable examples like mayonnaise, gradually introducing the concept of stabilization with solids like nanocellulose. With your clear communication style and subject expertise, let’s move to another key area—your contribution to academic research. Could you summarize the most impactful research paper you have published in a reputable journal? What was the key finding and its significance?

Extracted cellulose first from the food waste and then converted it to nanocellulose. And that nanocellulose conversion was achieved through various acid hydrolysis, that is by using inorganic as well as organic acids. So here what we did is we compared both the effectiveness of organic acids as well as the economic acids and producing nanocellulose. So how we compared, we compared it through various extraction. Various characterization methods.

So we characterize it according to the particle size, then thermal stability, rheological properties, then functional properties and then your Zeta potential. All these methods of characterizations were used to significantly differentiate between the various assets that we used. And in the conclusion we concluded that.

Uh, normally we use inorganic acid hydrolysis for obtaining nanocellulose, but through our research, we also concluded that, uh, the effectiveness of organic assets is also very good in comparison to inorganic assets. And also I also had through the neurological properties, I also had another conclusion that the organic acid hydrolyzed nanocellulose had a better gelling capacity, the ability to form hydrogen through.

Technological properties. So these were my findings from my research paper from my PhD.

Your research highlights an innovative approach to achieving food system sustainability, specifically through the efficient extraction of nanocellulose using organic acids. Your findings on gelling capacity and the broader implication for using organic processes are impactful. Finally, let’s address your experience in industry collaborations. Could you outline any consultancy or industry-linked projects you’ve worked on? And how do you see such collaborations enhancing your role as a professor?

Yeah. So in this case, I can see that I'm a fresher still only I have six months of experience of working as an assistant professor. So as such, I don't have any consultancy project or industrial collaboration. But if I'm getting hired, then my focus will be to have consultancy project and also to have a better industrial collaboration where I can also. Teach the students and show them how industries work.

A strong collaboration with them.

Understood, Professor Padhi. While you're early in your academic journey, your vision to establish industry collaborations and consultancy projects demonstrates your forward-thinking approach. These partnerships could indeed enrich both student learning and your research endeavors. Thank you for answering all the questions so thoroughly. I’ve noted your responses. Is there anything else you'd like to add before we conclude?

Yeah. So I would like to add that I'll be a suitable candidate for the position of assistant professor in food processing, food engineering department. I can bring on the table that I have experience that I can help in classroom teaching, mentoring students and also mentoring them for the research activities. And also I'll help them in publishing papers and high impact factor journals since I have. Experience in publishing.

In good uh journals related to food science and engineering and technology. And also I'll help in getting uh myself a good career by.

Joining VIT, which is a very reputed university and also I'll try to collaborate with industries to have a better understanding and also to acquire consultancy projects. Also, I'll try to get more funded projects and from very good funding agencies like DSD. Sir, deputy and that's all. So thank you so much.

Professor, to begin, could you share an example of a foundational course in food science that you've found particularly rewarding to teach? What makes it intellectually or pedagogically engaging for you?

Yeah, like food is something that we are regularly consuming. So the fascinating concepts behind it like just I was saying you in the beginning that cooking rice. So we see that when you cook rice, it becomes a little bit of sticky sometimes and how it absorbs water, how it it was initially thinner and how it absorbs water and becomes.

More fluffy and also all those concepts.

Fascinates me in this, uh, academic area of food science and technology. Like every day we eat something. I was also giving you the example of mayonnaise. So how it is it formed? It is formed by the mixture of two states of matter that is solid means both are liquids. It's two different phases, oil and water. So how they are mixed and how it they form mayonnaise and how it gets stabilized. So all these concepts like we are having.

Food Daily. So all these concepts fascinates me in this area of food science and technology.

Thank you, Professor. That's an intriguing perspective, connecting everyday food experiences with scientific concepts. Let me call silently to proceed.

Professor Padhi, I noticed in your research you worked on developing process technology for the efficient production of nanocellulose from jackfruit peel, with applications in food systems. Can you explain the significance of this research and how its findings could be applied in a real-world scenario?

Yeah. So the significance of my researchers, my focus from my PhD topic was attaining A circular economy, not just only by reducing the food waste, but also by developing a value based product out of my research work. So during my PhD project, what I did was I attained A sustainable approach, that is by converting the mostly available food waste that is jackfruit peel. So jackfruit peel.

Uh, was locally abundantly available, uh, in my area where I was doing PhD. So I acquired that waste. So which helped me in utilizing the abundantly available waste. Out of that I extracted nanocellulose, which I further applied for making a nanocellular stabilized Pickering emulsion. So Pickering emulsion is the developed application that is, it's a developed product out of my PhD project, so which can.

Be very useful one that is nanocellulose can be applied in food systems to attain stability and be cutting emulsions which can help in enhancing the shelf life that is the stability of the developer. Also nanocell is other applications like they can be used for making packaging material that that is it will give a better mechanical strength and barrier properties to the packaging material. So that can also be an application and there are also many other applications of nanocellulose and food.

And also biotechnology based fields.

Thank you for detailing the sustainability aspect and practical applications of your research, Professor Padhi. Could you elaborate on the challenges you faced during the extraction of nanocellulose and how you addressed them, especially in terms of maintaining its functional properties?

Yeah, so the first challenge was its extraction process. The extraction process is a very tedious one since from jackfruit P levels extracting. So it also had some pectin products which I needed to extract it first means remove it, make it free. So first I was extracting cellulose. So it was a very tedious process like first removing the pectic solubles and then pectin and then your. Hemicellulose lignin, separating all these and then getting the.

Cellulose and then, uh, making it uh, to PH-7 that is neutral free from any other thing that was also a very challenging one. And then while extracting nanosecond was the most challenging, 1 was the, uh, particle size, because since we are talking about nanosolos, so so the particle site should size should be in the nano range, so achieving every time achieving the same size. For application based work was a challenging 1.

And I addressed it through experimental practices like uh, doing more and more replications which help me in achieving the required particle size for my application and also for my research.

Understood. Your iterative approach to managing the challenges in the extraction process is admirable. Now, how would you integrate this research experience into teaching, particularly when explaining complex concepts like nanotechnology and bioprocessing to undergraduate students?

Yeah, So nanotechnology is the most emerging theory in today's world. So nanotechnology like for example I can take about talk about what I have worked. So I'll explain them that cellulose is not nano in nature. So cellulose if I integrate cellulose in various applications, just let take the example of Pickering immersion only what I did. So there also I compared both cellulose.

NSL lose. What is the efficiency of making a Pickering emulsion using cellulose as well as using a nanocellulose? So there I found out since the particle size because particle size matters for functional properties. So since the particle size was higher for cellulose, it did not form the.

Required emulsion characteristics, that is it separated the phase of water and oil continuously. But when I the same thing when the particle size decreased, that is, I formed nanocellulose with decrease in the particle size, the immersion formation was better and also the stability was better. So here I can explain the functional property the importance of particle size surface area. The different functional properties that is your water absorption capacity than your.

Oil holding capacity, your emulsifying capacity, all these are basically dependent upon your particle size and the absorbing capacity of the material that is a biopolymer.

Thank you for explaining your instructional approach, Professor Padhi. Linking your research findings with practical demonstrations of particle size and its impact is an effective way to engage students.

Yes.

Professor, let's begin with your vision. Could you share a three-year research roadmap that details the themes or projects you plan to pursue as a Food Science and Technology Professor, with a focus on guiding funded projects, consultancy services, and applied research?

Yeah. So I'll focus in getting projects based on food science and technology field. Mostly I'll focus on getting projects related to food waste valorization that is extraction of various materials from food waste like your bioactive compounds or your antioxidant rich compounds from food waste, also nanocellulose from food waste. I can acquire projects based on these topics also I can apply.

Projects based on the recent topic which is the development of plan based, meet plan based meal also like beverages and meet both. So in all these areas I can apply projects and also I can try to collaborate with industries which closely work in these areas such as the industries which work on development of plant-based milk, meat and all those I can collaborate with them and have any consultancy project in which.

Can integrate the undergraduate and postgraduate students to work with industrial collaboration.

Thank you, Professor. How do you plan to scale your lab's activities to ensure a sustainable pipeline of high-quality student publications and successful mentorship for junior researchers?

So I'll focus not only on teaching to the students but also I'll focus on research activities. So I'll teach them the concepts that what are the concept and how they can plan their experiments in the laboratory, how they can handle various equipments and various technologies that they can use to get a good publication that I'll also teach them how to write a research paper.

Uh, very systematically how to proceed for it. Then I'll also teach them to read review of literature more, understand more things that what are already being done, what are, are requirements to do and how we can address the knowledge gap from that. And then I'll ensure that they have laboratories activities like the, I'll be there with them to show them how they can do various experiments during the initial days so that afterwards they can carry out.

Energy and also I'll show them how to write research papers effectively and publish them in very good food science and technology journals.

Yeah. So I can tell that.

Understood, Professor. How do you plan to utilize international collaborations to not only enhance your own research but also to boost the citation metrics and academic standing of those publications?

I already have international collaborations during my PhD work. So I have collaborated with various people for my project also during my PhD. So still I have a very good connection with them. So I can contact them for research papers also to have collaborative work. That is, I can carry out some of the work at VIT and some some work I can ask them to carry out in their institution in international. The international collaborator in there, and then I can.

Career also.

And also my vision.

Thank you, Professor. This concludes the section. Let's proceed.

Yeah.

Yeah, so for teaching, slides are not important always. I can have materials, printed materials and I can also teach through blackboard, which I enjoy a lot. Rather than using slides. I also prefer to teach on the black boots. I can use a blackboard or a whiteboard to teach better. And also sometimes we can have a video from where I can show them the concept of. Food which is going on behind and in that way also I can teach.

Let's begin with this, Professor. Can you explain how you would implement an active learning model, such as a Flipped Classroom, for a large-enrollment Food Science and Technology course without relying on slides?

Time

So that's not an issue.